|
|
|
|
By: Shaheen, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Paxton) |
H.B. No. 460 |
|
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 2021; |
|
May 4, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal |
|
Justice; May 20, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote: |
|
Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 20, 2021, sent to printer.) |
Click here to see the committee vote |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the solicitation of pen pals by certain inmates of the |
|
Texas Department of Criminal Justice. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 500, Government Code, is amended by |
|
adding Section 500.009 to read as follows: |
|
Sec. 500.009. PEN PAL SOLICITATION PROHIBITED. (a) This |
|
section applies only to an inmate confined in a facility operated by |
|
or under contract with the department who is serving a sentence for |
|
an offense for which registration as a sex offender is required |
|
under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure. |
|
(b) The department shall adopt a policy that prohibits an |
|
inmate described by Subsection (a) from placing an advertisement |
|
soliciting a pen pal on an Internet website operated for that |
|
purpose, regardless of whether another person submits or pays for |
|
the advertisement for the inmate. |
|
SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2021, the Texas |
|
Department of Criminal Justice shall adopt the policy required by |
|
Section 500.009, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
|
|
|
* * * * * |